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Every day after school, students have to fight through the masses gathered in the lobby waiting for a ride home. Consisting mostly of underclassmen who are unable to drive, many will be trapped at Roncalli for hours after the final bell.

Athletes often find themselves in the lobby while waiting for a practice that starts later in the evening. Sophomore Elliana Aleski has to wait after school for archery practice almost every day of the week.

“On any given day, I am usually at Roncalli until about 5:30,” Aleski said.

These hours of downtime can be productively used to work on homework, but the lobby also provides an environment of social interaction. Groups of friends gather together to catch up and socialize after a long day of school. However, the temptation of talking with friends can ruin concentration and make studying difficult.

“I find it hard to just work on homework and not socialize, so sometimes I don’t get stuff done,” Aleski said.

Students may be stuck at Roncalli, but nearby businesses can provide a much-needed change of venue. Dollar General, located on Dearborn Street and a mere five-minute walk from the lobby, receives a lot of business from hungry Rebels searching for an after-school snack. Sophomore Alana Young is one student who takes advantage of the close proximity of Dollar General.

“I have [gone to Dollar General] with a few friends,” Young said. “Everyone wanted to go get chocolate milk, but two of them forgot their money, so I paid for their milk.”

Teachers also remain at school after most students have left, working on lesson plans and grading papers. Every once in awhile they will interact with the kids who are in the lobby.

“Mr. Hasty or Mr. Weisenbach will ask us how we are doing sometimes, or they’ll just say hi,” Young said.

Ending the day at three is hard enough for kids to find rides, but early dismissal days and finals week add an extra challenge. Parents find it even more difficult to get off work in the middle of the day, so many students are stuck in the lobby longer than usual, which can be frustrating. However, for many Rebels, this is just an adjustment they have grown accustomed to.

“I’ve gotten used to [staying in the lobby after school],” Alleski said. “It’s not my favorite thing to do, but at least I can work on homework.”

Students stuck in the lobby have had to accept the fact that they will remain at school longer than many of their peers. However, this is not always a negative part of their day.